Beacon of Hope, Love's Sacrifice
by MrNeedsToRemoveAllFavs
Summary: The Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen shows that he hasn't lost his Will of Fire when he manipulates his entire village into honoring the Yondaime's wish of seeing Naruto as a hero with a speech.


Author's Note: Just a little snippet that I'm not entirely sure if I'll continue at all, but I felt it had to be written (and shared). Hiruzen was _supposed_ to be extremely charismatic and a great leader. Apparently one of, if not the, greatest of the Hokage, and that position wasn't chosen just on the merits of combat ability and so on.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen is standing in front of the survivors of the latest attack on his village. This time it's by something besides human hands. Other villages have had to deal with this, but not Konoha. The Bijuu in their village have always been safely controlled or transferred before they could cause such destruction. First, by the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and then by the Jinchuuriki and the Uzumaki Sealing abilities.

For the first time in memory they have experienced an attack from a Bijuu that isn't contained in a Jinchuuriki. That they couldn't kill, or force to retreat, by throwing enough fire power (and/or seals) at it's host.

"The Bijuu are chakra embodiments of Hate, Rage, Malice, Despair, and Insanity," he starts. "As such, they leave grief in their wake, wherever they go. Apparently mindless when free, they care not for how much destruction and death they cause, reshaping the landscape and destroying entire villages if unopposed."

Here, he pauses, looking out on the faces of the crowd. Some are in shock. Some are grieving. Some are angry, hateful. He knows the news about Uzumaki Naruto has already been leaked. He has to plan this carefully to make sure they don't call for the child's death. To, at the very least, make sure they are only uncaring. Hopefully, he can ignite the Will of Fire one more time. Ignite it in himself, and then in all of his village.

"We have witnessed that with the attack by the Kyuubi no Yoko late last night. As you all most likely know, the Yondaime sacrificed his life to seal the beast into a child with a forbidden technique."

Again, he pauses for a second. He continues before they can stir too far from the grief that now covers nearly all their faces. He has to use this emotion.

"However!" he explodes in a passionate below, startling the ones that hadn't yet started to recover. "Have hope! Do not Despair! You cannot fight an embodiment of something with the very things it is made of!"

He can see confusion on a few faces, and realization on some others, but he pays it no mind as he continues his passionate speech. He was quickly getting more fired up then he had expected he would be, the words flowing out much more easily than he thought they would, as if he was _possessed, _just like every other time he had made a successful speech.

"You have to fight it with the exact opposite! Something that is the anti-thesis of what it's made of! If it is made of hatred, then we shall use love! If it is rage, you counter with serenity! If it's Malice, use compassion! Despair? Use happiness! Insanity? There is no recourse except Logic. Structure. Order!" He slammed his hands on the podium in front of him for emphasis. "The very things it lacks! The Yondaime Hokage knew this! He _knew_ we would be able to beat the Kyuubi! He _knew_ we wouldn't give in to the very things it embodies! For to do so would only give it _more_ power! Over us and the very child he used to imprison it! With our love, serenity, compassion, and happiness, the Kyuubi will never again ravage our village, much less the _world_!"

Here, he pauses once again, to hold up the child behind the podium, staring at the child as he holds him up. "Love this child, the child our Hokage chose! The one most trusted by him!" He knows that might be giving too blunt of a hint, but he can't help it. "See this child for what he is! A Shield against everything the Bijuu embody, a shield that is held up and strengthened by each and every one of us! Do not see him as a sacrifice, a prison, weapon, or something to be hated, as the monster surely wishes you to! See him as the Legacy of the Yondaime Hokage! As the Hope, the _Light_, that the Bijuu cannot plague us if we do not let it! That the Will of Fire can triumph over even embodiments of all the negative emotions in the world!"

There is silence for but a moment, and he fears he failed and cannot bring himself to look at the crowd's numerous faces. So he misses it when they go from shock and grief to realization and triumph.

Then the crowd roars it's approval as one, and he has never felt more proud of his village then he does right then when they roar, unanimously, in approval and support of a Jinchuuriki as their Beacon of Hope.

And the changes begin.

* * *

End Prologue.

Author's Note: From here it would probably go along the lines of a meeting between the leaders of the ninja clans (Inoichi, Choza, Tsume, Fugaku and Mikoto, Hiashi, Shibi, etc), the advisory council (Homura, Koharu, Danzo), the Jonin Leader (Shikaku), the ANBU Commander (probably make him anonymous and randomly chosen character from canon, or an original character, not that it matters either way), and a couple others about where (and how) Naruto would be raised.

Either a skip forward a couple years after that meeting to show some moments as Naruto grows up, or a chapter or two of scenes flashing forward for a year or two. This Naruto would likely be incredibly different (ie, more like Menma, serious, relatively dark and goal-driven) or incredibly similar to canon (ie, really ignorant, dense, naive, charismatic and hyperactive), depending upon how the meeting would go, as well as the formative years.


End file.
